Kyla's gift to Daddy

I took care of 2-year-old Kyla again this week. I was just going to be watching her for the month of January, but because her grandparents weren't back from their trip, I agreed to watch her longer. 

I've established somewhat of a routine with her, which usually involves reading time and some sort of craft. Whether it's playing with play-doh, coloring or painting, Kyla gets really involved! We heard that her Dad's birthday was coming up, so Q and I thought it would be fun to have Kyla make a gift for him. 

This is what we came up with:

Earlier in the week, I took several head shots of Kyla. I'm always mesmerized by her big blue eyes! I printed two of them--one for the frame and one for the card. Yesterday morning, I had her paint a few pictures using watercolors. I used the most colorful one as the background for the frame. To attach the picture, I used photo corners. If her parents want to take the photo out and use it elsewhere, they can do so easily. On the back of the frame, I wrote, "Happy Birthday, Daddy! Original artwork by Kyla, age 2-1/2." 

After Kyla woke up from her nap, she helped me package up Daddy's gift using leftover Christmas wrapping paper. She even chose the blue ribbon herself. She immediately recognized the card as her painting and I showed her the inside, which held the other photo.

When we were done, she held on to it for quite a while. She couldn't wait to give it to her Dad. We eventually put it on the dining room table to keep it safe and in one piece! 

This was so fun for the two of us. It reminded me of the times when my students and I would make a fun craft for their parents. It always made me smile when I saw their parents' reaction to their child's gift. It's priceless.